Everyday Creation

DJ Casper's "Cha Cha Slide" sounds like a song you would hear mainly at the gym, but it became a worldwide hit. This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. 

To hear "Cha Cha Slide," and watch people doing the line dance, you can go to this official video for the UK release of the song.

You also can watch this news segment by ABC7 in Casper's native Chicago, reporting on the life and death of Mr. C the Slide Man, as he was known. 

The image in the chapters is a picture of the cover of Casper's "Cha Cha Slide" CD, available on Amazon Music.

Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.

My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them. He also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on the list, email [email protected] with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love. 

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This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

David LaFlamme was a concert violinist for the Utah Symphony Orchestra before moving to San Francisco, where he formed It's a Beautiful Day with his first wife. LaFlamme played electric violin with the group.

His tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them.

To hear "White Bird" from the group's first album, you can go to this video. The picture in the chapters is the cover of one of the CDs by It's a Beautiful Day. The song ran just over 6 minutes, making it too long to play on AM stations, but it managed to reach 118 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under the Hot 100.

Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.

Along with these tributes, Sheldon writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email [email protected] with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Sinead O’Connor, who had a number 1 hit with "Nothing Compares 2 U," was not shy about speaking her mind, even when it got her in trouble. Her tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. 

To hear "Nothing Compares 2 U," you can go to this video, and you may want to check out the comments too. There are some great ones, including this comment: "Beautiful voice, beautiful woman."

The picture in this episode's chapters was a publicity photo circa 1987, photographer unknown. It was distributed by Chrysalis Records and is available on wikimedia.org.

Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.

My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them. He also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email [email protected] with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love. 

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Randy Meisner, bass player for the Eagles, co-founded one of the most successful rock bands ever, yet he hated the spotlight. His tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. 

To hear "Take It To the Limit," the song referenced in this episode, you can go to this version that was remastered in 2018. From the comments below the video, you can tell that Meisner lives on in the hearts of his fans.

The image in the chapters of this episode is a picture of the cover of the CD "Randy Meisner." To learn more about the artist, check out the Randy Meisner Hearts On Fire website.

Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.

My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them. Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email [email protected] with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love. 

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Banjo player Roger Sprung was known as the godfather of progressive bluegrass and helped usher in New York’s mid-century folk scene. His style became known as “newgrass.”

This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. 

To hear Sprung perform "One Morning in May," an old English folk song, you can go to this video of him at the Clifftop Music Festival in 2014.

The picture in the chapters is the cover of his CD, "Progressive Bluegrass and Other Instrumentals."

Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.

My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them. He also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email [email protected] with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love. 

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Tony Bennett overcame a lot to become the national treasure he was at the time of his death last July. This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. 

The image in the thumbnail for this episode and in the chapters is the cover of the CD "Tony Bennett All Time Greatest Hits." I like how the picture captures Bennett's classic performing style. 

Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.

To hear Bennett sing his signature song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” you can go to this video from MTV Unplugged. Or, if you want to go way back in time, here's a link to him singing the song on "The Judy Garland Show."

My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them. You can hear him tell Bennett's story on WGCU.org, where he posts once a week.

Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email [email protected] with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love. 

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

The first record that Astrud Gilberto ever made, “The Girl From Ipanema,” became a worldwide hit and won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965.

This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. 

To hear “The Girl From Ipanema,” go to this video of Gilberto and saxophonist Stan Getz performing the song. In 1964, Gilberto herself was young and lovely, just like the famous girl from Ipanema. And please scroll down to the comments to read some of the tender words of appreciation for this singer.

The picture in the thumbnail and the chapters is of Gilberto performing in Amsterdam in 1966. It's from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository, and was taken by Ron Kroon.

Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.

My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them. He also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email [email protected] with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

This episode is about an easy yet powerful way to lift our focus from whatever is troubling us, directing it instead toward higher thoughts and best possible outcomes. And it involves only our breath and a few seconds of our time. Hope you get as much out of it as I do.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Tina Turner definitely earned her title as the "Queen of Rock and Roll." Longtime writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan wrote this tribute to Turner, who died on May 24 last year. This is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

Here, you can listen to "Nutbush City Limits" on YouTube. It's worth scrolling through the comments below the video. There are a lot of expressions of love and appreciation for Turner.

The first photo in this episode's chapters is by an uncredited photographer who took the shot of Turner performing at Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, in October 1970. I found the photo on Wikimedia Commons. The other two images are covers of her books, available on Amazon..

Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.

Along with tributes, Sheldon writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on Sheldon's subscriber list, email [email protected] with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Ed Ames, a member of the singing Ames Brothers quartet,  later became an actor who was best known for his role on the TV show "Daniel Boone." This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

Here, you can listen to the Ames Brothers singing "Rag Mop" in 1950 on an early iteration of "The Ed Sullivan Show."

The publicity photo of the Ames Brothers in the Chapters was taken in 1955 a couple of years after they signed with the record label RCA Victor. Ed Ames is pictured at the top. I found the photo on wikimedia.org.

Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.

All of these tributes were written and recorded by longtime writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan, who also is the creator behind Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on the subscriber list, email [email protected] with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.